Lightning-Catching Drone Successfully Triggers Strike In World First

In a groundbreaking experiment, Japanese researchers have flown a drone directly into a thunderstorm and successfully triggered a lightning strike — on purpose. Built by telecom giant NTT, the drone was encased in a Faraday cage and tethered to the ground via a 300-meter conductive wire, designed to safely route lightning energy downward.

Dubbed the world’s first lightning-inducing drone, the experiment marks a major leap in both lightning protection and the dream of someday harvesting its immense energy. The team flew the drone into a high-electric field, then activated a ground switch, creating a voltage difference that attracted a bolt from above. The lightning melted part of the drone’s protective cage — but it remained stable and airborne.

With around 1.4 billion lightning strikes occurring each year, the energy potential is massive. One bolt carries enough energy to charge an electric vehicle multiple times. But bottling that power is a major challenge. Current battery and grid systems can't absorb such violent surges without risking destruction.

While the idea of storing lightning energy remains out of reach, the drone's ability to redirect strikes could revolutionize protection for stadiums, turbines, and remote infrastructure where traditional lightning rods aren't feasible.

For now, this flying lightning rod might be one of the coolest tools in storm defense — and maybe one day, a true energy breakthrough.

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Source: New Atlas

Photo Credit: AI/NTT